X. Confrontation

*****

There was a knock at the medical bay doors.

Casualty report, Captain.

She sighed and rubbed a hand over her eyes.

Thank ye, Duncan.

He left the rolled parchment on the floor next to the stool she was sitting on and slipped back out. She had been at Jim's side since Silver's confinement. Her own injury hadn't even been tended to yet. She watched Jim's chest rise and fall shallowly, ignoring - for the moment - the inevitability of the documents at her feet.

She sighed again and finally reached for the scrolls.

She blanched. She read over it again to make sure she hadn't misread anything, then looked back at the unconscious first mate.

Ye'll pull through, lad. She swallowed hard. If ye want that pirate of yers t' leave this ship alive, ye'll pull through.

*****

A roar burst from her throat and she sprang forward. The crew members restraining Silver dove out of the way. Only a few had ever seen Fletcher completely lose control, and the rest had heard the stories.

You bastard!

She held him against the wall of the brig, her right arm pressed tightly against his throat, and used her left hand to clasp on to the mechanical parts of the cyborg's face.

You fucking bastard!

The crew watched her warily.

Get out, lads, if ye know what's best for ye.

They needed no further instruction. She and Silver were left alone.

Over a third of m' crew is dead, and another quarter will be no use t' me th' rest of this voyage. M' first mate is lying at Death's mercy. You did that.

Silver's left arm had been tied behind his back and his cyborg arm had been removed, so all he had to use against Fletcher was his weight. Unfortunately, because they were the same species, that didn't make a whole lot of difference. While she wasn't as bulky as he was, she was near to his height, and that was all Aubrey needed to keep the cyborg from moving. She was also a good twenty years his junior, making her reflexes much more conditioned. Add the incomprehensible rage to that, and Fletcher was a force to be reckoned with.

When he didn't respond, she twisted her wrist so that her right hand could grab the gears on his face, and threw him face-first against another wall of the brig.

Say something, ye worthless piece of -

The cyborg pirate stood slowly. Cap'n, Ye have t' fergive m' crew fer -

Yer crew? You did that! Yer orders! Captain Silver... She spat out the last sentence. She took a breath and visibly calmed herself. When she spoke again, her voice had taken on that deadly soft tone once more.

An' t' think, Hawkins an' Ah were looking t' invite ye on t' the Redemption as a friend - t' keep ye away from the Patrol. But th' first sight of ye, and ye blast Jim right out o' th' air! Th' one person in th' whole universe that's trying t' keep you safe!

Silver stood silently. So the pup had told her...

Fletcher was having a hard time keeping her emotions in check. That never happened. She was always in perfect control. But the combination of Jim's steadfast devotion to this pirate, the loss of her crew, and her own wounds was starting to wear her down. She blinked back tears.



She and Silver both turned to see Slipp, the medic, on the ladder.

Mr. Hawkins is coming to.

She leapt for the ladder, ignoring the dumbstruck cyborg behind her.

Do you want me to fetch the guards...?

No. Ah'll just lock him up - he's not goin' anywhere. She sent a last fearsome glare toward Silver before shutting the hatch to the brig and slamming the bolt home.

*****

Hey, Captain.

Hey, lad. Aubrey returned to her stool next to his cot. How ye feeling?

Like hell.

She chuckled. Aye. Well, gettin' blasted in th' shoulder an' nearly dying has a habit o' doin' that t' ye.

He smirked and sat up slowly, wincing slightly as he did so.

Easy, lad.

I'm fine. He rubbed at his shoulder and met her eyes. Have you talked to Silver?

She pursed her lips.

He grinned. You don't like him, huh.

D' ye really want my opinion, lad?



She rolled her eyes.

Just... don't beat him up too much, Fletcher. He is my friend, after all.

Aye, that he is, Jim. She became serious. And mark me - that is th' only reason we're not doing full-speed ahead t' th' nearest Patrol station.

He sighed. Thank you, Fletcher.

She nodded.

He put a hand over her paw-like one and met her eyes. Give him a chance, Captain. He really is a good guy.

She raised an eyebrow at him.

Well, for the most part... A thought struck him. Hey - why not take Morph next time you talk with him? Maybe that'll help...

She looked suspicious for a moment, but it disappeared and she sighed. All right, Jim. If it means that much t' ye...

It does. He smiled. Thanks, Captain. Morph! He looked around the med. bay. Morph? Now where'd he get off to...? Morph...?

*****

Silver grinned when he heard the familiar trill.

Morphy! Down here!

The little shape shifter giggled and chirped ecstatically. He dove down through the latice-like hatch to reunite with the cyborg.

Ah Morph! How ye been?

Been! Been been been!

He chuckled. Me too, ye little blob.

Morph chattered excitedly and nuzzled Silver's cheek. Ah, I missed ye too, Morphy. Ye been keeping a good eye on th' pup?

Morph's eyes expanded to the size of dinner plates, and he saluted smartly in response.

Good lad! Silver shrugged his shoulders to show his predicament. Naow, I hate t' ask a favor of ye so early on... Morph flitted back to Silver's cheek, purring his delight once more. All right, all right. I have a job for ye, Morphy. See, there's a fine lad I'd like ye t' foind fer me up there...

*****

Aubrey returned to the brig that night.

Silver was sitting quietly against the aft wall, facing the doorway so that he could see anyone that came through. The light had shifted, leaving the brig to high contrast light and shadow. The pirate captain was shrouded in darkness, the hum of his mechanical gears and the glow of his cyborg eye the only things that betrayed his existence.

She descended slowly, her eyes never leaving the small pinprick of yellow in the shadows.

Grand soft evenin' t' ye, Cap'n.

She didn't respond.

Jim's going t' pull through, Silver. She sneered. Thought ye might want t' know that ye hadn't killed th' lad.

The pinprick shifted from yellow to orange-red briefly. She narrowed her eyes.

Have ye come t' patronize me, Cap'n?



He made a sound that could have been a chuckle, but she wasn't sure. She glared at the yellow light in the darkness.

I hate ye for what ye did t' my crew, Silver. She sighed angrily and looked away. An' if Ah had my way, ye'd be dead now, and Ah'd be sailin' off into the next galaxy wi' a fat paycheck for m' services t' the peoples of this etherium...

Good t' know who's in charge on this ere boat.

Her nostrils flared angrily. Ye blasted heap of -

The cyborg stepped from the shadows, and the colour drained from Fletcher's face. He had somehow been reunited with his mechanical arm.

How did ye - ?

He smiled coldly and she couldn't prevent the shiver that went down her spine. I ave my ways, lass...

She was doing an admirable job of masking her fear.

He continued to move toward her, and she realized his cyborg arm was behind his back, concealing something. She pulled her blaster from its holster at her thigh.

One more step, Mr. Silver, and Ah'll blow yer blinkin' brains out!

The cyborg eye shone blood red, and a voice in her head piped up: No good! She sprang to the side just as he fired his own pistol at her. His mechanical arm appeared from behind his back, a blaster in place of a hand. She raised her own weapon, training it steadily between his eyes. He did the same.

The moment stretched into eternity. Fletcher's heart was pounding. He had absolutely nothing to lose in this situation.

If ye shoot me, m' crew'll see to it yer death is long and painful...

He laughed dryly. An' if ye shoot me, Cap'n, I b'lieve ye'll have t' answer t' yer first mate.

Ah think he'd understand. She bluffed.

He called it out. Ye aren't goin' t' shoot me, Cap'n.

She snarled. Ye're threatening m' life - Ah have every right to!

But ye won't.

She cocked her flintlock threateningly.

He got his shot off first. She yelped as his blast knocked the gun from her hand. She noticed too late that he had advanced on her. Aubrey was barely able to reach for the dagger in her boot when he pinned her against the wall. A perfect mirror of their earlier encounter, except all wrong. Maybe, if things hadn't looked so bad, and maybe, if she didn't hate the cyborg pirate as much as she did, she could have possibly enjoyed the irony of the situation. His left arm pressed against her throat viciously, and she gasped for breath as her own hands clawed at the arm in an attempt to break free. He raised his cyborg limb to her hands and removed the dagger from her grasp.

Naow, lass, that's no way t' treat a guest...

She managed to choke out, But treatin' a host like this is perfectly acceptable?

He chuckled. She narrowed her eyes and curled her lips in a savage growl. With both arms and his weight in his advantage, Fletcher was completely at the mercy of Silver. But if there was one attribute Aubrey was proud of, it was the strength of her legs. In one fluid motion, she brought her knees to her chest and kicked out fiercely at Silver's gut. The cyborg dropped her immediately and doubled over, clutching his midsection and gasping for air.

Aubrey hadn't become the best privateer in the galaxy by ignoring an opportunity when it presented itself so willingly. She hit the ground running, and landed a good kick to Silver's unguarded face. He stumbled back again, and she continued to press her advantage. She reached to her other boot for a second dagger, this one smaller than the first, but hopefully all she would need. She tackled him, the combination of her momentum and his surprise causing them to fall backwards. She raised the knife, and with a cry, brought it down toward his throat, only to meet his cyborg arm. He had raised his right arm to protect himself, and only just in time. The knife glanced off the metal, and Fletcher fell forward, propelled by the force of her attack. Silver recovered quickly and flipped their positions so that she was flat on her back, arms pinned above her head, and he was straddling her thighs.

Fletcher came to the horrible realization that she couldn't move.

She gulped as he held his cyborg arm to her throat, the extension now a large and wicked-looking knife.

Naow, Cap'n, why don't ye just apologize t' me?

She spat in his face. Ah'd sooner die!

He raised his eyebrows at her. Well, if ye insist...

She pursed her lips and glared, steeling herself for the inevitable. The cyborg pressed the blade upwards under her jaw. She clenched her teeth and shut her eyes to keep from crying out as it drew blood.



Heavens bless James Hawkins and his impeccable timing.

Something registered in his living eye, and his cyborg eye flashed a subdued yellow ever so briefly, but Silver didn't look away from Fletcher just yet. He didn't remove the blade either.

Jimbo lad! I'm just goin' t' finish my bit o' business here...

He flashed Aubrey a cruel grin.

Silver... let her up. Please.

The pressure on her neck lessened. But instead of standing, Silver leaned forward so that his mouth was next to her ear.

Ye lucked out, lass. Bu' next time, th' pup may not be around t' save yer neck. He sneered. In a manner o' speakin'...



The pirate drew back and winked at her, evoking another growl from her bruised and bleeding throat. And then he was gone. Aubrey stood slowly, raising a hand to touch her neck where he'd injured it. Their gazes met and held, his mismatched eyes boring into hers. Aubrey broke the stare to look over his shoulder at her first mate.

Jim lad, will ye be all right?

Yeah, Captain.

All right. Ye just call me if this ... pirate ... gives ye any trouble.

Silver bowed mockingly to her. I'll be lookin' forward t' it, Cap'n Fletcher.

*****

A/N:
I've always imagined Silver as a terribly ruthless sort of pirate - outside of his relationship with Jim and Morph, of course - what with all the references to his gone soft in the movie. So I really wanted that other - evil - side of him to show up in this story. As (was it Glen Keane?) said - he looks good mad.

Gets me to thinking how much I'd love to see a fic about his pre-Jimbo days... *hint hint wink wink nudge nudge say no more* ;)

Also, Aubrey's line One more step, Mr. Silver, and Ah'll blow yer blinkin' brains out! was adapted from the original text. There's an absolutely fabulous Wyeth painting about Jim's confrontation with Mr. Hands in regards to that line, and though I know there was no room for it in the movie, it's always been one of my favorites. That and Silver's calling Jim smart as paint. Honestly, is that really a compliment? =) I'll stop rambling any minute now - I promise...